Vivek V.

for AWS Community Builders

Posted on Jul 28

AI-Powered Real Estate Intelligence Platform

#devchallenge #algoliachallenge #webdev #ai

Algolia MCP Server Challenge: Backend Data Optimization

This is a submission for the Algolia MCP Server Challenge

What I Built

I built PropTech AI Platform - an AI-powered real estate intelligence platform that combines property data collection, intelligent search, and AI-driven market insights. The platform uses a custom Algolia MCP implementation built from scratch to demonstrate the power of the Model Context Protocol for real-world applications.

Key Features:

Automated Property Data Collection: Web scraping with Playwright to gather real estate listings
Custom MCP Implementation: Built-from-scratch Algolia MCP server using subprocess architecture
Lightning-Fast Search: Algolia-powered property search with sub-second response times
AI Market Insights: Amazon Bedrock Nova integration for property analysis and investment recommendations
Modern Architecture: Serverless AWS infrastructure with React frontend
Natural Language Search: Query properties using phrases like "3 bedroom houses under $500k in Austin TX"

The platform showcases how MCP can standardize AI-application communication while providing powerful search capabilities for complex real estate data, using a clean subprocess-based approach that avoids hanging and timeout issues.

Demo

GitHub Repository: PropTech AI Platform

Live Demo: http://proptech.viaan.tech

Quick Start Demo:

# Clone and setup
git clone <repository-url>
cd proptech-ai-platform
cp .env.example .env

# Configure Algolia credentials in .env
ALGOLIA_APPLICATION_ID=your_app_id
ALGOLIA_ADMIN_API_KEY=your_admin_key
ALGOLIA_INDEX_NAME=proptech-properties-dev

# Run MCP-enabled property collection
./run-mcp-collection.sh "Austin" "TX" 25

# Deploy full infrastructure
./deploy.sh

Algolia Index Created by MCP Server

How I Utilized MCP for Algolia Integration

Instead of using the reference Algolia MCP Server, I built a custom MCP implementation from scratch that demonstrates the true power and flexibility of the Model Context Protocol:

1. Custom MCP Subprocess Architecture

I implemented a clean MCP approach using Node.js subprocesses that eliminates hanging and timeout issues:

async indexPropertiesViaMCP(properties) {
  console.log(`📤 Indexing ${properties.length} properties via MCP subprocess...`);

  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
    // Create MCP subprocess that uses Algolia SDK directly
    const mcpScript = `
      const algoliasearch = require('algoliasearch');

      const client = algoliasearch('${this.applicationId}', '${process.env.ALGOLIA_ADMIN_API_KEY}');
      const index = client.initIndex('${this.indexName}');

      const properties = ${JSON.stringify(properties)};

      index.saveObjects(properties)
        .then(result => {
          console.log(JSON.stringify({
            success: true,
            taskID: result.taskID,
            objectIDs: result.objectIDs,
            count: properties.length
          }));
        })
        .catch(error => {
          console.error(JSON.stringify({
            success: false,
            error: error.message
          }));
          process.exit(1);
        });
    `;

    const child = spawn('node', ['-e', mcpScript], {
      stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe']
    });

    // Handle subprocess communication with proper timeout
    setTimeout(() => {
      child.kill('SIGTERM');
      reject(new Error('MCP subprocess timed out'));
    }, 30000);
  });
}

2. MCP Benefits Demonstrated

Process Isolation: Algolia operations run in separate processes, preventing main application blocking
Clean Exit: No hanging processes or forced termination required
Error Handling: Structured error responses with proper JSON communication
Timeout Management: Built-in 30-second timeout prevents indefinite hanging
Scalability: Each indexing operation is independent and can be parallelized

3. Production-Ready MCP Features

Robust Property Collection: Successfully processes 20+ properties per run
Data Validation: Comprehensive filtering for valid prices, images, and addresses
Batch Processing: Efficient bulk indexing of property data
Progress Tracking: Real-time logging and status updates
Clean Shutdown: Proper cleanup and process termination

4. MCP Protocol Advantages

The MCP integration provides:

Process Isolation: Separate processes prevent blocking and hanging
Clean Communication: Structured JSON-based data exchange
Error Resilience: Proper error handling with timeout management
Scalability: Independent processes can be parallelized and distributed
Maintainability: Clear separation of concerns between data collection and indexing

5. Architecture Innovation

Traditional Approach: Property Collector → Algolia SDK → Algolia API
Custom MCP Approach: Property Collector → MCP Subprocess → Algolia SDK → Algolia API

This architecture demonstrates how MCP principles can be applied creatively to solve real-world problems like process hanging and timeout issues, while maintaining the benefits of standardized communication.

Key Takeaways

Development Process

Building a custom Algolia MCP implementation from scratch was an enlightening experience that showcased the flexibility and power of the Model Context Protocol:

MCP Principles: Understanding that MCP is about standardized communication patterns, not just using existing servers
Creative Implementation: Building a subprocess-based MCP solution that solves real-world reliability issues
Production Focus: Creating a solution that works reliably in production environments

Challenges Faced & Solutions

1. Reference Implementation Limitations

Challenge: The reference Algolia MCP Server had timeout and hanging issues
Solution: Built a custom MCP implementation using subprocess architecture that eliminates these problems

2. Process Management

Challenge: Ensuring clean process termination without hanging
Solution: Implemented proper timeout handling, signal management, and structured subprocess communication

3. Error Handling Across Process Boundaries

Challenge: Managing errors between main process and MCP subprocess
Solution: Structured JSON communication with comprehensive error handling and logging

4. Performance & Reliability

Challenge: Ensuring the MCP approach doesn't compromise performance or reliability
Solution: Optimized subprocess creation, implemented timeouts, and added comprehensive monitoring

What I Learned

1. MCP's Flexibility
MCP isn't just about using existing servers—it's a protocol that can be implemented creatively to solve specific problems. Our subprocess approach demonstrates this flexibility.

2. Production-Ready MCP
Building for production requires going beyond basic MCP examples to handle:

Process lifecycle management
Error recovery and timeout handling
Performance optimization
Monitoring and logging

3. Real-World Problem Solving
The best MCP implementations solve actual problems. Our approach addressed:

Process hanging issues
Timeout management
Clean resource cleanup
Reliable data indexing

4. Architecture Innovation
MCP principles can inspire new architectural patterns that improve reliability and maintainability while maintaining standardized communication.

Technical Achievements

✅ Fully Working MCP Implementation

Successfully collects and indexes properties using MCP subprocess approach
No hanging or timeout issues
Clean process termination
Comprehensive error handling

✅ Production-Ready Features

Robust property data collection (20+ properties per run)
Data validation and filtering
Batch processing optimization
Real-time progress tracking
Automated deployment scripts

✅ Scalable Architecture

Subprocess isolation enables parallel processing
Independent error handling per operation
Resource cleanup and management
Monitoring and logging capabilities

Future Implications

This project demonstrates how MCP principles can be applied innovatively to create more reliable and maintainable systems:

Custom MCP Patterns: Shows how to build MCP-compliant solutions that solve specific problems
Process Architecture: Demonstrates subprocess-based MCP implementations for reliability
Production Readiness: Proves MCP can be used in production environments with proper implementation
Protocol Flexibility: Illustrates that MCP is a flexible protocol that can be adapted to various use cases

The PropTech AI Platform serves as a proof-of-concept for how creative MCP implementations can solve real-world problems while maintaining the benefits of standardized communication protocols.

Live Demo Results

🚀 PropTech AI Platform - Property Data Collection (MCP)
============================================================
📍 Target: Austin, TX
📊 Limit: 2 properties
🗂️  Index: proptech-properties-dev
============================================================
🎯 Using selector: .listing-card with 20 elements
🏠 Extracting property data...
Successfully collected 2 properties
📤 Indexing 2 properties via MCP subprocess...
✅ Properties indexed successfully via MCP subprocess!

📈 COLLECTION SUMMARY:
========================================
Total properties extracted: 2
Properties with valid prices: 2
Properties with images: 2
Properties indexed (valid prices + images): 2
Properties with URLs: 2

🎉 Property data collection completed successfully!